Getting Over Little Fears
by Greenstuff
Summary: WIP sequel to The Novelist Albus comes up with a plan to force Severus to relax. . . He sends him to Florida HG SS now up to chapter 7
1. Part I The Offer

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the random plot, and even that has probably been done before. This chapter was brought to you courtesy of the music from the Dirty Dancing Havana Nights Soundtrack and I blame all insanity on the music.  
  
Getting Over Little Fears  
  
Albus Dumbledore had always considered himself a simple soul, one with a caring heart and an eerie perceptiveness who wanted nothing more than to see the people he loved best happy with their lives. He knew that many people – make that most people – saw him as a meddling old crackpot who held on to sanity by a thin strand of determination, and he did nothing to discourage this idea. After all it worked in his favor more often than not to have people underestimating him.  
  
On this particular sunny Saturday morning Albus had set his sights on a colleague who had been worrying him for some time. The young man was the junior staff member by more than thirty years until very recently and Albus had always felt that he must be lonely, even if he refused to admit it. It was with this thought in mind that Albus sat himself next to the scowling Head of Slytherin and said cheerily, "It's a beautiful afternoon for a game of golf wouldn't you say Severus?"  
  
Severus narrowed his raven eyes at his flamboyantly dressed employer. "A game of what?" he asked, more than a little irritated by the Headmaster's strange choice of words. Obviously the old tyrant had been dipping into the fire whiskey early that morning for he seemed to be inventing words.  
  
"Why golf my dear boy." Albus said clapping a fatherly hand on Severus' shoulder. "A wonderful game it is. Very relaxing. You can't tell me you've never played it before." He sounded genuinely surprised and this only caused the grim Potions master to scowl more deeply.  
  
"I must say I've never heard of the game Headmaster." He said stiffly.  
  
"Well then," Albus beamed, "I must have you learn! You could use with a little vacation, what with the summer holidays beginning in just two days."  
  
Just as Severus was about to politely decline the Headmaster's ridiculous offer, Hermione entered the Great Hall. Severus was struck by how peaceful and put together she appeared. Her unmarked black robes were fitted perfectly and looked brand new, even though he was certain she had worn them a few weeks back. Her hair, which had once been a tangled mass of fly away curls, was smoothed into a tight chignon. Despite himself Severus watched her progress across the room, completely oblivious to everything else.  
  
"Good morning Albus, Severus." She said slipping into her usual seat next to the potions master.  
  
"Ah good, Hermione, just the person I wanted to talk to." Albus said turning from the still silent potions professor to smile at his newest staff member. "I wondered what your plans were for the upcoming holiday."  
  
Hermione looked a little puzzled, and her confusion only increased when she caught sight of the distinctly embarrassed expression on Severus' face as he pointedly ignored the Headmaster. "Sir?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.  
  
Dumbledore smiled brightly at her. "I'm not trying to pry." He said kindly. "It's only that I have reservations at this beautiful resort in Florida and no one to take the vacation. I would have gone myself, but several situations have arisen that will require my presence in London for the duration of June and part of July. I was simply wondering if you would consider going."  
  
Both Severus and Hermione gave the headmaster confused looks. "Florida?" Hermione asked stupidly. She couldn't think well enough to phrase a more intelligible question at the time.  
  
"Oh yes. It's in America. Simply gorgeous place, so very relaxing, I thought it would do you both some good."  
  
"Wait a moment. Both?" Hermione's look of confusion had been replaced by a shrewd smile. "Who exactly were you planning on sending with me Sir?"  
  
Severus remained quiet but his breath was baited as they waited for Albus to answer. "Why Severus here of course," Albus said with a merry twinkle in his eye. "There are two suites booked and it would be wonderful for both of you. I of course don't expect your answers right away," he said smiling at the dumbstruck teachers seated in front of him, "I will schedule meetings with each of you to discuss it further. Now if you'll excuse me." Still smiling he bowed slightly and took his leave.  
  
Hermione sat staring at the spot where he had stood for several minutes, a contemplative look on her face, finally shaking her head in wonderment and turning to her now cold breakfast. "That was... interesting." She said eyeing Severus out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Severus took a sip of his coffee, grimaced and spit the tepid liquid back into the cup. "Indeed," he said dryly, taking out his wand and performing a warming charm of his mug. This second sip was much more to his taste and he drained the mug in one long swallow. Finished his drink he turned to face Hermione. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.  
  
"It actually might not be all that bad." She said, smirking t the stunned look he gave her. "I mean consider it. Florida." She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them he could see excitement brewing in the cinnamon depths of her eyes. "No students, no lesson plans, no busybodies who mean well but really haven't a clue, nothing but sun and relaxation."  
  
Severus smiled at her enthusiasm and allowed – for a moment – happier thoughts to invade his brain. It could be fun, it would give him a chance to finish his book and maybe he would even take Dumbledore up on his challenge and learn that game, golf. "Are you saying what I think you are?" he asked Hermione, a smile playing on his lips.  
  
"If you think I'm taking him up of that offer, then yes I am." Hermione said, with steal in her voice. "I could use the holiday from life. And I've never been to Florida." She grinned at him, a determined glint in her eyes. "What do you say? Shall we attempt the impossible and shock Albus with a united acceptance?"  
  
Severus had never seen her act this impulsively, ever, and he liked it. He hadn't planned to take the offer, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why not. He and Hermione had been operating under a strange sort of truce since she had discovered his novel attempts. They hadn't become best friends or anything ridiculous like that, she still kept constant contact with Potter and Weasley so she hadn't needed his friendship. Her best friends were actually something of a nuisance at the school; Ron Weasley was acting as a part time coach for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so he was there every fourth day and Harry would drop in whenever the England Quidditch team – of which he was the star – was in London. Their sporadic appearance was disrupting to more than one person's routine.  
  
Hermione stared at him. "Well?" she asked impatiently.  
  
Severus allowed a genuine smile. "Yes. Yes I think we shall."  
  
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A/N: I hope you enjoy this story. It was intended to be a one-shot, but the idea took on a mind of its own and I think it will be much more enjoyable as say a five-part. *grins* Anyhow, this is a continuation of my "novelist" universe, which means that it's another challenge fic! Based, of course, on an outdated challenge, because I can never seem to find the good ones before their deadlines. *shrugs* oh well. Anyways. I hope you all enjoy it because I'm having TONS of fun writing it. PLEASE REVIEW oh and.. did anyone pick up on my little message in the title? *shakes head* I think I'm having too much fun. 


	2. Part II Preparations

PART II  
  
Albus was sitting quietly in his office listening to the snoring coming from the portraits around him and contemplating the plate of candies in front of him with a serious face when he was interrupted by two very triumphant looking professors. He raised one eyebrow, hiding his surprise admirably. He hadn't expected this, though now that they stood there - Hermione with her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright, and Severus looking suspiciously dour – he knew he had underestimated them by far if he thought they would take more than five minutes to make their decision. "May I help you?" he asked smoothly, holding out a plate of sherbet lemons.  
  
Neither accepted the offered treat, but Hermione did speak. "We came to talk to you about the summer holidays," she spoke calmly but her twitching hands belied her excitement.  
  
"Oh?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling merrily behind his half-moon spectacles. "And what about them is in need of discussion? They are approaching rather quickly don't you think?"  
  
Severus rolled his eyes. "Don't be coy." He snapped, "You know very well what she was referring to."  
  
Albus raised an eyebrow. "Manners, Severus." He scolded gently. "But I suppose this time I must let it pass, since I was not acting altogether politely myself." He turned his gaze once again to Hermione, "Allow me to apologize Professor; I do believe you've come to accept my offer."  
  
Hermione was disappointed that her plan to surprise the Headmaster had failed and fought the desperate temptation to tell him that 'no she would not like to go' just to see the shock on his knowing face, but an image of the beautiful sunny beaches and afternoons by the pool intruded and she was forced to nod. "Yes sir."  
  
"Excellent" Albus beamed. "I'll finalize the arrangements then. Your flight leaves in eight days so prepare accordingly."  
  
Hermione smiled and stood, nodding her thanks.  
  
Severus on the other hand seemed rooted to the floor. "Flight?" he asked his face blank.  
  
Albus twinkled merrily in his direction, "Oh it's a Muggle resort, so we can't have you entering by any other method, but I'm certain Miss Granger has flown before, so you will have no problems."  
  
Smiling tightly Severus followed Hermione out of the room. Once they were out of hearing distance he placed his head in his hands and groaned.  
  
Hermione stopped and looked at him, concern evident in her expression. "What is it?"  
  
Severus looked up at her, his expression desolate, and said in a small voice, "I don't fly."  
  
It took a moment for Hermione to realize fully what he was saying and then she smiled with sympathy. "Have you ever tried flying any other way than by broomstick?" she asked softly.  
  
He shook his head slightly.  
  
Smiling softly at him, Hermione explained to him the basics of Muggle air- travel finishing with, "It's really rather exciting. I was terrified my first and only time of a broom, but I love airplanes. The plane is very secure, even if it can be a little boring and uncomfortable after a few hours."  
  
Severus was skeptical, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He sighed, "I guess we have no other option." They resumed their walk, and Severus returned to the dungeons after promising to meet Hermione for tea that Saturday to discuss further details.  
  
-  
  
Saturday came all too slowly for Hermione. He was excited about her upcoming vacation, but the practical side of her was frantic about the amount of work to be done before their flight left the following Thursday. The students had left on Friday but that didn't mean the year was over for the teachers who had to make inventory lists for the next year and outline their next-year syllabuses. The term would not end for Hermione until Tuesday. Her plan for that Saturday was to surprise Severus with a trip to Muggle London. They would need to buy a three week supply of Muggle clothing for the trip as well as luggage and other miscellaneous things required for such a journey.  
  
Severus was prompt as always. Dressed in his imperious black robes he swept into the room bringing with him a gust of air that smelled disturbingly good to Hermione's senses. "Good afternoon." He said shortly, taking a seat across from her.  
  
His eyes surveyed her clothing suspiciously. She was wearing a simple black pencil skirt and a clingy blue sweater, her robes were no where to be seen. "What are you wearing?" he asked, unable to stop himself. She looked positively divine.  
  
Hermione laughed, misinterpreting his question. "I thought Muggle clothing would be appropriate since we're headed into Muggle London this afternoon."  
  
Severus' jaw dropped.  
  
Hermione smirked.  
  
"We're what?" he stammered incredulously. "Why?"  
  
"Shopping of course." She replied with a smile. "You can't expect to go to a Muggle resort in Florida in THAT can you?" she asked indicating his robes.  
  
Severus spluttered unintelligibly for a moment before replying huffily, "Of course not, but I didn't plan to shop TODAY." He grimaced at the whiney tone his voice had taken on.  
  
"When were you planning on going then?" Hermione challenged him, her eyebrows raised and a knowing smirk on her rosy lips.  
  
"Just – just – not now." He stammered.  
  
Hermione continued to smirk knowingly at him. "Now is as good a time as any."  
  
Severus sent her a fierce scowl. "Fine," he said in his most scathing tone. He stood, "just allow me to get my cloak." The sound of her laughter stopped his movement and he turned to glare at her once again. "What exactly is it that amuses you so?" he asked icily.  
  
"You're not going to Muggle London in your robes. Honestly for a brilliant man you can be quite obtuse." She thrust a bundle of fabric into his hands. "You'll wear these. I had Dumbledore acquire them for me, he assures me they will fit beautifully." She smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Grumbling Severus gave up his last bit of pride and took the offered clothing. With a final baleful glare he removed himself to his chambers to get dressed, her call of "Fifteen minutes Professor" chasing him like a pack of demons down the hall.  
  
Ten minutes later the words were tattooed permanently on his brain as he struggled to figure out exactly how these Muggle clothes were to be worn. The pants and shirt were much tighter than the clothes he usually wore, and the over shirt had numerous flat buttons, none of which wanted to slide into the miniscule button holes. The deep maroon color of the tight undershirt had caused him several moments of irritation before he realized that he was a wizard and therefore not limited to the provided colors, he had performed a simple transfiguration spell to turn the shirt black and repeated the action on the white collared over shirt.  
  
Finally, slipping the last button into its designated hole, Severus let out a crow of triumph, stuffed his wand into the back pocket and hurried to the entrance hall where he was to meet Hermione. Pausing momentarily in front of the mirror to critique his clothing, and deciding that it wasn't anywhere near as bad as he had thought it would be. The clothes had obviously been charmed to fit his slender frame and his one complaint was that they fit him a little too well. Accustomed to his looser robes Severus felt naked in the new garments, but there was no time to change that.  
  
Hermione was leaning casually against a wall in the entrance hall when Severus arrived. She had on a knee-length gray coat that was buttoned up and fit her body perfectly. Her hair had been twisted into a low bun and she looked every inch the brilliant, studious young woman that she was. No one observing her relaxed pose would have guessed that her heart had reached triple speed when she saw Severus approaching. The clothes, which he had changed to black, clung to the thinly sculptured frame that she hadn't know he possessed and for a moment Hermione allowed herself to imagine how terrific that body might look in a pair of bathing shorts, even though she knew the chances of getting her uptight colleague to unwind enough to partake in the rather risqué business of sunbathing was next to impossible, let alone actually swimming.  
  
Severus greeted her with a mere nod of his head, looking decidedly uncomfortable in the new clothes. "Not a word," he said, "not one single bloody word."  
  
The grin Hermione sent his way was entirely too evil to have come from the face of a Gryffindor. She obeyed his command and bit her tongue, but she couldn't help the whistled of appreciation as he walked past her out the door. She earned a glare for her efforts.  
  
-  
  
"Just try it!"  
  
They had been shopping for nearly three hours and Hermione had yet to get Severus to try anything on. He insisted that he could charm them to fit, much like the outfit he was currently wearing, and that modeling for her was out of the question.  
  
"Oh come ON Sev." She said, holding the clothes in one hand and pushing him towards the dressing room with the other. "You can't charm a suit to fit well. It has to be tailored." She hung the clothes on the changing room hooks, "Just try them. I have some things I still need to pick up and we're running out of time so I'm going to trust you to stay here and try these on, if you need a different size ask a clerk."  
  
Severus was reminded of Molly Weasley and it was not a pleasant memory. The Weasley mother was insufferably bossy and almost terrifying; he didn't know many people who dared to fight with her. Seeing the same manic determination in his colleague made him question once again the rash decision to go on this trip, but he pushed the doubts aside, there was no way he could back down now. Instead he glowered at her and closed the changing room door with a little more force than necessary.  
  
Hermione smiled at the closed door. "Well, have fun then." She called, wishing desperately that she could be there to see him try the suit, but knowing she couldn't. She needed a new bathing suit, and there was she was going to shop for that particular garment with Hogwart's Potions master, just the thought made her cheeks redden.  
  
There was a store just across the street from the one where she had left Severus and she decided to start her search there. A mannequin in the window sported a bright crimson tankini with white silk wrap, and twenty minutes later the clerk was tucking the same outfit into a bag for Hermione along with two pairs of sunglasses and several different colored wraps. These new purchases along with the simple black bikini she already owned would be more than sufficient for the three weeks in Florida.  
  
In the suit store Severus was not sharing Hermione's ease in finding a good fit. Hermione had explained the suit to him and laid the clothes out in the order he would have to put them on, but it had still taken nearly fifteen minutes to put it all on. Now he was standing in front of a three way mirror with two sales people watching his every move, trying to figure out how to tie the blasted neck thing.  
  
"Can I be of any assistance sir?" once clerk asked politely, stepping towards him.  
  
Severus wanted to tell the youth exactly who he could assist and with what, unfortunately he knew if he did that he would have to wait for Hermione's return to purchase the suit and he refused to look completely incompetent. "Yes please," he said, holding out the tie for the young man to take.  
  
When Hermione returned half an hour later, her hands full of bags, Severus was the owner of two suites with an assortment of shirts and ties that went with both. He nodded his thanks to the helpful clerk and all but dragged Hermione from the store.  
  
"What's the hurry?" Hermione asked, obviously amused.  
  
"Dinner." He replied shortly. "I haven't eaten since breakfast and there is an Italian restaurant down the road that is supposed to be decent, if the half grown Muggle who tied my tie for me can be believed."  
  
Hermione had to smile. She had intentionally neglected to teach Severus how to tie a neck-tie knowing that that was probably the only way he would accept help from the store employees. It had not been long into their shopping trip that she figured out Severus would rather go naked than ask for help. "We'll eat dinner soon," she said, "but we have one more stop to make."  
  
Severus simply glared. "What more could we possibly need? I have enough Muggle clothing for a life time."  
  
"You need a bathing suit." She said smugly.  
  
Severus scowled. "No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I absolutely refuse to parade around half dressed in front of people." He responded hotly.  
  
"Fine." Hermione said, a malicious smile spreading over her lips. "I'll have Albus order one for you. He knows your measurements, and you must admit his taste in clothing is impeccable."  
  
Severus groaned. "Why is it you weren't in Slytherin?" he asked, "It seems unfair that the world wasn't forewarned about your conniving."  
  
"I take it you concede?" Hermione asked.  
  
Severus gave a defeated sigh and gestured towards a nearby shop. "Lead the way."  
  
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A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope that at least one person will enjoy reading this story as much as I am writing it. As in the Novelist I don't care if her character's a little OOC, I enjoy writing Silly Sev every once in a while. Anyways.. PLEASE REVIEW  
  
Next chapter: The pair travels. Can you picture Sev on an airplane? *grins evilly* 


	3. Part III Travel

Part III

The London airport was packed with people of all sorts. Severus stood silently observing the masses of Muggle travelers with a distant air, ignoring the sick nervous feeling that had his stomach tied up in knots. Their flight didn't leave for another hour and Hermione had left him to guard their substantial luggage pile while she rummaged up something to drink. A voice blared unintelligibly over the loudspeaker immediately behind Severus' head and he cringed. He would be very glad when their boarding call came and he could get out of this hell hole, although he feared that the plane would be just as bad, if not worse.

Hermione reappeared holding a pair of Styrofoam cups, one of which she pressed into Severus' hands, "Here." She took a sip of her own drink and leisurely surveyed the crowds around them, "This place is a mad house."

Severus grunted in reply. He had yet to brave the odd drink in his hand, too preoccupied with the strange container it was in. The lid had no obvious space to drink from - in fact the only hole in it was a pin hole in the center. Sneaking surreptitious looks at Hermione's drink didn't help; hers had a different lid and came with a straw.

"Is something wrong with your drink?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"The lid." He replied, plaintively holding it out for her inspection.

Hermione attempted rather unsuccessfully to smother a grin.

Severus scowled deeply at her and she mastered the expression and took the cup, lifting the tab and pulling it back to expose the opening. Saying nothing he took the drink from her, certain that this wouldn't be the only Muggle contraption he would be unable to operate and entirely depressed by that certainty. He took a tentative sip of the drink, she had told him it was a mocha, whatever that was. The hot liquid was a delicate blend of bitter coffee, creamy chocolate and whipped cream. He took a second swig, larger this time, having decided that the drink was something he could get quite used to, even if the strange cup disconcerted him. Plastic was a substance avoided by most Wizards because of its tendency to melt under extreme heat and its Muggle origin but he assumed that it was the basis of the material that made up the spongy white cup in his hand.

If Hermione was aware of his in-depth scrutiny of the styrofoam cup she did not show it. She sipped the iced latte in her hands, relishing the Muggle beverage that had been her favorite. Living almost completely in the Wizarding world she didn't often get a decent cup of coffee, let alone a cappuccino. It wasn't that Wizards didn't drink the bitter, rich beverage, but they seemed to be decades behind in their methods of brewing it.

A blaring call over the loudspeaker galvanized Hermione into action. "Finally," she breathed, reaching for the handle of her carry-on.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her, "Where are we going now?"

"To check our baggage." She replied unhelpfully.

Shaking his head to clear the confusion Severus grasped the handle of his own bag and followed her through the crowded room. When Hermione had first produced his "suitcase" he had been baffled. The thing was enormous, big enough for her to fit in and it was on wheels. Hermione had been patient in her explanations, but the undercurrent of amusement in her voice had been hard to miss. Now that they had been at the airport for a while Severus had begun to be thankful for the wheels on the bright red contraption he was dragging, though the flamboyant color still struck him as horrid and tacky. Only a Gryffindor would pick out suck a brilliant red color and call it practical. He looked around him again, bitterly noting that practically every other traveler in the place had a black or navy blue bag, bloody Gryffindors.

When they reached the baggage check Hermione stopped and faced Severus. "Alright, so here is where we drop off our luggage, we'll pick it up again at the airport in Florida. Since you're new at this," she grinned at him, "I'll handle the talking. So why don't' you just take our carry-on bags and wait over there?" she pointed to an uncomfortable looking row of blue plastic chairs. Without waiting for a response she thrust the smallest of her three bags into his hands and deprived him of his suitcase. With a firm grip she turned him and gave him a none-too-gentle push in the direction she had indicated earlier.

Embarrassment had never been one of Severus' favorite emotions, Slytherins were notoriously conceited, and he moved away from the baggage claim with ill grace. He hated the way Hermione was in complete control. _Stupid Albus. Stupid Muggles_. He scowled threateningly at a small child who had been unfortunate enough to cut him off. The child's eyes widened in terror and it ran to his parents' side, eyeing Severus with wide eyes. '_Great,_' he thought acrimoniously, '_Three hours in the Muggle world and I'm already reducing their children to tears_.' He reached the suspiciously feeble looking chairs that Hermione seemed to believe would hold his weight without further incident and set their bags down. His trust in Hermione was not strong enough for him to try the chairs, so instead he stood a few feet away and tried not to cause any other Muggle to break down into tears.

Hermione wasted little time checking their baggage and returning to Severus' side, she had caught a glimpse of the child incident and hoped against hope that Severus hadn't done anything else in her absence. He was entirely too tense, not that she blamed him. If his only experience of flight was the vulnerable feeling of a broomstick he must be terrified. She could vividly remember her first time in a plane.

It had occurred many years ago, she was six. Her parent's were attending a dental seminar for the weekend in America so they decided to bring her with them and drop her off with a cousin in New York. For such a small child it had been an overwhelming experience, much as she imagined it would be for a full-grown pureblood wizard, though when she thought about it more fully the flight might actually be worse for Severus. She had been too young to understand the possible dangers of the long flight over the Atlantic Ocean and the absolute trust in her parents had eased the few fears she had had. For Severus she imagined there would be no such comforts. He was a brilliant man, so there would be no hope of naivety removing his nervousness, and he was disinclined to trust people completely – especially people who he considered below him. He had never said he considered her below him, but her friendship with Harry and Ron and the fact that she was a Gryffindor made it highly likely that he did.

"Now Boarding First Class for flight 237 to Florida, all passengers make their way to the boarding gate," a loud voice blared over the intercom system.

Hermione wove her way through the crowd until she was at Severus' side. "That's us," she said brightly, looping an arm lightly through his so she could steer him in the right direction.

Severus felt himself subconsciously relaxing at the reassuring contact. He was both glad to be leaving the over crowded terminal and terrified at the unknown ahead of him. He really didn't understand why they had to take a Muggle contraption when there was such a good international floo network now. Hermione and Albus had tried to explain the theory of customs and immigration to him when they had given him his Muggle identifications but, as much as he was loath to admit it, he still hadn't a clue what was going to happen or why. Hermione led him through the thick crowd to a desk where a bored looking woman in her mid thirties took their tickets and gestured for them to pass by her and move through security. Security was about the only thing about the Muggle process that Severus had understood in the explanations he had been given and he cooperated nicely with the forty-year-old man who scanned him quickly with a metal detector.

Once they had cleared Security they were free to move down the tunnel to the air plane. Only the gentle pressure of Hermione's hand on his arm kept Severus moving to the craft as fear slowly locked his muscles into one solid mass.

"Relax Sev," Hermione said softly, "If anything goes wrong we can always apparate out." When her comment caused him to stiffen more she let out a gentle laugh. "I'm only teasing, this is a very safe way to travel. Good old Albus got us first class seats so we'll even be comfortable. Oh," she added as an after thought, "and if it gets to be too much they serve some pretty decent alcohol."

The last comment had its desired effect as Severus' shoulders lost some of their rigidity and he fought a grin.

What was left of his anxiety disappeared almost entirely when they entered the plane and were shown to their seats by the flight attendant. The seats were plush and well spaced so that even his long lanky frame would be able to sit comfortably. He settled himself in the seat Hermione pointed him to and watched in silent confusion as she traded a few Muggle bills for a pair of strange looking earmuffs form the flight attendant. Oh Merlin, he thought in a sudden panic, surely the plane wouldn't be so loud they would need earmuffs. He inwardly cursed Albus Dumbledore again, _meddlesome fool_.

Hermione smiled over at the dour looking man next to her and handed him a headphone set. He glared at it suspiciously before taking it form the packaging and securing the headphone securely over his ears. Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise but said nothing. It was strange with his seeming fear of everything Muggle that he seemed to understand the headphone concept. It was then she noticed the wire still dangling, unattached, from the left earpiece. She suppressed a giggle.

Hearing her giggle Severus shot Hermione a sharp look. "Problem Miss Granger?" He asked disdainfully, inwardly praying that he hadn't done something humiliating so soon in their journey.

"No Severus," Hermione said grinning up at him, "I was merely amused at your eagerness to listen to the half-rate Muggle music stations."

The confused look that flickered quickly across Severus' features followed closely by one of embarrassment before the usual blankness set in.

Hermione, feeling a rush of compassion, reached across his chest and plugged the end of the black wire into its designated hole and grinned up at him. His face relaxed slightly and she felt she could continue getting settled. She pulled a novel from her carry-on and secured it along-side Severus' in the overhead bin.

Hermione had been right about the music, Severus thought with a grimace. The sounds assaulting his ears made the Weird Sisters sound like Mozart. Wanting to look as if he know what he was doing, Severus reached for the buttons he could see on his armrest. There were arrows and a plus and minus sign below the small screen that showed the number 6. He assumed the number had something to do with the song he was enduring. He tentatively pressed the plus sign. Nothing happened. He pressed and held it this time and was unpleasantly surprised to find the cacophony in his head getting louder. He quickly jammed his finger on the minus sign and sighed in relief as the noise decreased to a reasonable level.

He snuck a glance and Hermione and was glad to see she was already engrossed in the latest "Flawless Passions" novel (thankfully not written by him) and hadn't noticed his battle with the headphones. Deciding that the music could not possibly get worse, he pressed one of the arrows on his arm rest.

He had been wrong. The music, if it could possibly be called music, that now invaded his ears was unbearable. With a muttered curse against Muggles and their contraptions he tore the headphone from his head and dropped them unceremoniously on his lap.

Hermione turned to him with an eyebrow raised. Her expression screamed 'I told you so' but she was wise enough not to voice her amusement. Instead she gestured to a passing flight attendant and asked if they could have two vodka tonics, light on the tonic as soon as the flight was underway.

The loudspeakers interspersed throughout the plane crackled to life as the Captain welcomed his passengers. This was followed by a safety demonstration which Severus watched with apt attention, much to Hermione's amusement, and then the plane began to move.

Hermione had dropped her book and was gazing out at the window. Severus didn't know how she could enjoy watching the ground zip past and then grow small as the plane lifted off the tarmac and vaulted into the sky. He felt like he would be sick. His hands clenched unconsciously at the armrests and he fought the urge to dart from his seat and leap from one of the doors he could see a few rows ahead. He knew that this was ludicrous, so instead he let his head fall back against the seat and closed his eyes.

The plane leveled out and the sick feeling in Severus' stomach lessened. Just as he was beginning to relax, the woman across the narrow aisle from him opened her mouth. She had a distinctive accent he wasn't familiar with and her loud voice seemed to fill the cabin. He wondered briefly if anyone would notice, or mind, if he hexed her and then remembered that he couldn't hex her because his wand was currently in Hermione's handbag masquerading as some kind of makeup applicator. Apparently since Muggles did not carry wands, airport security would have objected. He assumed Albus and Hermione didn't want him to have a wand when surrounded by Muggles.

If Hermione noticed his irritation she didn't let on. But she did hand him his head set with an encouraging smile. He donned the hated object and was delighted to hear the familiar strains of Mozart's Spring. He glanced down at the armrest and saw that Hermione had changed the music channel for him. Hermione was a saint.

Two hours later Severus was convinced that Hermione was indeed a saint. Each time his glass was empty she would ensure more vodka replaced it. She even began to look saintly to his alcohol tainted perception. The frizzy halo of hair that had escaped her attempts to contain it caught the light from the window beside her and seemed to glow.

She glanced at him and he gave her a wide contented grin. She blinked in shock and then laughed. "That's it Severus. I'm cutting you off." She said, taking what remained of his drink and downing it in a single gulp.

He frowned at her, looking so much like a petulant child that she broke into laughter again. "Don't worry, Severus." She said, patting him on the arm. "Only six hours to go. Why don't you try to sleep?"

Severus regarded her suspiciously and then decided to follow her advice. It had been a long day and he was rather sleepy. He let his head fall against the headrest and surrendered to the heaviness of his eyelids.

--

A/N: wow… that was much longer than it was supposed to be. And took a few more years to write than it should have :P For those of you still reading: THANK YOU! I never intended to ignore this story, but Severus did not want to get on that plane so we were at an impasse. I hope it was worth the wait. PLEASE REVIEW!

There are a few things about this flight sequence I wasn't sure about, so please bear with me if I made any errors.


	4. Part IV First Impressions

PART IV Fist Impressions

"Severus."

Severus turned his head away from the unwelcome voice.

"Severus," the owner of the voice shook him gently, "Wake up. We're almost there."

He grunted something unintelligible and attempted to turn his body away. He was blocked by something hard that bit into his elbow in a painful way that jerked him to consciousness. Irritated and disorientated he glowered at the young woman who had woken him. "What?" he snapped.

Hermione smiled. Her eyes were bright with excitement. "We're almost there. I didn't want you to miss the landing." She tilted her chair back so he could see the window past her shoulder, "Look, Florida."

Below them he could see the ocean, a brilliant turquoise lined on one side with golden beaches and green foliage. Bright splashes of red, blue and brown were houses and swimming pools. It was beautiful. And it was getting closer by the second. For a brief moment Severus thought the plane was going to crash into the tarmac. The grey landing strip was coming up so fast he was certain the plane would not survive the impact. Amazingly the plane coasted to the ground and they were safe.

The plane came to a stop beside the terminal and, once the seatbelt sign turned off, the passengers rose as one and began to pull luggage from the overhead compartments.

Hermione stood along with them and stretched like a cat. He winced at the cracking sound her spine made as she did so. His own spine felt like it had been hammered down until the once flexible spinal column was one solid, unbending rod. He rose gingerly to his feet, glad to move after many hours of sitting in the same position. Blood rushed to his legs and he felt momentarily dizzy.

The pair was swept along with the rest of the passengers down a seemingly endless white hallway and into a large room with a line of booths in which uniformed officers stood, faces grim. "Just answer their questions," Hermione whispered. "Be polite but don't yammer on needlessly. Make eye contact and don't get mad."

He nodded, too nervous to be properly upset by her condescending tone. At least she hadn't said he had to smile.

They joined one of the many queues that had formed and waited impatiently for their turn to speak with the custom's officer. Finally the old woman in front of Severus disappeared through the doors and it was his turn.

"Passport?" the bored looking custom's officer held out his hand for the documents which Severus handed him without comment. "What is your business in the United States?"

"Vacation." Severus answered shortly.

"How long are you staying?"

"Two weeks."

"Are you travelling alone?"

"No. I am with a colleague."

The man nodded and handed the passport back to Severus. "Enjoy your stay."

Severus nodded politely and headed into the terminal to wait for Hermione. She was not far behind him and they were soon on their way. The enormous wheeled suitcase Hermione had insisted they needed bounced along behind him as they wove through the crowded terminal.

A man in a black suite that seemed at odds with the colorfully dressed tourists around him was holding a white placard with Granger written on it in bold black script. Hermione lead Severus over to him and smiled. "Horatio?" she asked.

The man nodded and returned her smile. "Albus did not say that his young friend was so beautiful. Come, the car is just around the corner."

Severus gave Hermione a questioning look and she giggled. "Horatio works for a limousine company. Albus hired him to squire us about while we are here."

The first glimpse of Miami did nothing to ease Severus' discomfort. Everywhere he looked there was a crowd of brightly dressed Muggles. The air too was sweltering. Hot a humid. In seconds he could feel his carefully selected black shirt become damp with sweat.

Hermione did not seem at all fazed by the heat. She had changed on the plane and was wearing a light-weight cotton sundress and a pair of sunglasses – blending in perfectly with the crowds around them.

Horatio led them around the corner and opened the door of the longest car Severus had ever seen. Hermione slid in first leaving her bags on the sidewalk for Horatio to load into the back and beckoned for Severus to join her.

The inside of the limo was deliciously cool and Severus wondered briefly how Hermione had managed to cast a cooling charm without him noticing before he noticed that the cool air was coming from vents in the ceiling and concluded that this must be some bizarre Muggle invention to stave off the stifling heat.

They didn't talk during the ride to their hotel. Hermione had her eyes glued to the scenery outside and Severus was surreptitiously trying to figure out the cold air vents.

The hotel itself was enormous. The lobby was enormous with a solid marble floor, a martini bar and luxurious furnishings. To Severus it looked something like the Malfoy family ballroom.

Hermione had never seen anything so blatantly expensive in her life. Her mouth dropped open slightly and her eyes grew huge. She hadn't expected Albus to send them somewhere cheap, but this place must cost a fortune. She didn't even want to contemplate the cost of their two week stay.

She took the lead as they approached the front desk. A tall slender blonde with bright blue eyes and way too much makeup greeted them with a wide smile. "What name is your reservation under?" she asked after the obligatory greetings.

"Granger." Hermione answered, presenting their confirmation documents and passports to the young woman. She noticed Severus eyeing the woman and felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy. It wasn't that she liked Severus she told herself firmly. It was just that she always felt so old and frumpy next to girls like – she glanced at the girl's nametag – Nicole.

"You two are in our Tides Suite." Nicole informed them in an overly excited voice. She tapped away at her keyboard, making a note of their passport numbers and few other details. "I just need to make a copy of these and then I will grab your room key." She said brightly, "why don't' you two grab a martini and I will come find you when it's all ready to go?"

Hermione nodded her assent and dragged Severus over to the bar, ignoring his grumbles about drinking before noon. "It's noon somewhere," she said with a grin.

Severus simply glared and followed her to the bar.

Hermione had barely gotten her martini, gin dirty, when Nicole was before them with a white envelope and two small plastic cards which Severus assumed were keys. He gave Nicole an appraising look. She was a beautiful woman, or would have been without the half pound of makeup that caked her face, the type of woman he would have featured in a "Flawless Passions" plot. She gave him a seductive smile and flounced away, hips swaying. He glanced at Hermione out of the corner of his eye and was amused to see her glaring at Nicole's retreating back.

--

The Tides Suite, it turned out was the hotel's penthouse. There were two bedrooms, each with a luxurious king-size bed, a living area, kitchen, dining room and an enormous bathroom. They even had a private roof-top patio. If the brochure on the table was to be believed the suite was 2200 square feet. It was incredible.

Hermione threw herself on her bed and laughed out loud. This was going to be the best vacation ever!

By the time they had arrived in the room their luggage had been brought up and a maid was waiting for directions to unpack their belongings. Right now she was taking their nicer clothing to be steamed wrinkle free. Severus had complained that it was unnecessary, but Hermione had insisted they do everything the Muggle way.

--

Severus was not a joyous as Hermione at their living situation. He distinctly remembered Albus saying that he had two suites, and was unimpressed that the reality was that they had only separate bedrooms and everything else was shared. The idea of sharing a bathroom with Hermione filled him with a nameless dread.

--

A/N: for anyone who is curious: no I did not make up this resort. There is a resort in Florida called The Tides South Beach whose penthouse suite is 2200 square feet. And it can be yours for only 3500 a night. I like to think that if Harry is rich, Albus must be loaded. Huge thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! I am glad you liked it! PLEASE REVIEW


	5. Part V Golf

Part V Golf

The first two days at the resort were relatively uneventful. Hermione was content to lounge on the roof terrace with the latest Defense periodicals and a continuous supply of fruity, alcoholic beverages.

Severus was happy with the quiet confinement to their suite. He had even figured out how to turn on the large black screen Hermione called a television. On it he watched the exploits of Muggles with amused contempt.

Today they were to leave the safety of their suite for the first time. Albus had booked an eleven o'clock tea time. Whatever that was. Hermione had tried to explain the concept of Golf to him the previous evening over dinner, but he was sure there was more than she was telling. Unless Muggles were even stupider than they appeared on the television.

The one thing that he did understand was that he would be expected to dress like he belonged. It was this unhappy thought that brought him to where he currently stood – half naked in front of the closet. Hermione had shown him a few photos of the correct attire for gold and patiently explained the rules of the club dress code, but faced with several dozen options that fit the basic rules and ranged from a pair of too tight black linen trousers to the khaki shorts she had forced him to buy, he hadn't a clue what to choose.

Hermione tapped at his door. "Are you ready?"

Severus mumbled something highly uncomplimentary about Hermione's mother and threw open the door. If Hermione was shocked to see Severus' state of undress she did not show it. Instead she smiled up at him and pushed her way into the room. "My mother is actually allergic to dogs, Severus." She said lightly as her small hands flipped through his closet, "also I don't' think it would be anatomically possible for her to do that to one."

At amazing speed she picked out a white cotton shirt and the pair of khaki shorts he had contemplated earlier. She handed the garments to him along with a brown belt, white socks and ordered him to change while she transfigured his shoes into something appropriate.

Grumbling the whole time – this time about know-it-alls and doddering old fools – Severus donned the Muggle clothing and proceeded to the main room to get his shoes.

Hermione gave him an appraising look and nodded her approval. Outwardly she maintained the polite, friendly calm expression she had been wearing since they left England. Inwardly she was anything but calm. Who could have thought that under his voluminous robes, Severus Snape was hiding _that_ body? When he had opened his door shirtless it had taken every ounce of self control she possessed to maintain her aloof expression. Now, in a white cotton golf shirt and the khaki shorts he looked every inch the relaxed traveler – and it suited him.

_Stop it Granger_. She scolded herself. This was Severus Snape, evil bat of Hogwarts, regardless of how appealing she found him she knew nothing could ever happen. _Best not think of it_ she decided. But she couldn't help her eyes roaming appreciatively as he bent to tie his shoes.

--

By the second hole Severus was ready to give up completely. Either that or beat the couple they had been paired with to death with one of his clubs. No one had said anything about being paired with another couple, yet here they were starting on the second hole, paired with two of the most irritating individuals Severus had ever encountered.

Ted and Nancy were from some place called Wisconsin. They owned a cow farm. Ted loved to watch golf and thought he was doing a terrific favor passing on his expertise to Severus. Nancy on the other hand spoke exclusively to Hermione and thrice, that Severus had heard, referred to him as Hermione's father.

Severus was first to tee off. His ball soared through the air for a glorious second before it hit the grass, bounced once, and rolled into a pit of sand.

"It opens up over there." Ted said unhelpfully, patting Severus on the back.

Severus stiffened and reached for his wand. That. Was. It. Of course he couldn't grab his wand. It was in their suite, in Hermione's handbag, disguised as a makeup brush. Each time he asked for it she would conveniently distract him and so the wand remained.

Hermione saw the tension in her colleague and quickly stepped up beside the men. She placed a warning hand on Severus' arm and smiled – too brightly – at Ted. "I believe you're next."

Ted moved away and Severus turned his best reduce-a-first-year-to-tears glower on Hermione. She simply smiled and squeezed his arm. "Only seven more holes after this one." Her voice was tinged with amusement.

"That thought is not as comforting as you seem to imagine," Severus replied darkly. In his mind he repeated the only mantra that brought him comfort: _Albus will pay._

--

After three excruciating hours on the golf course, Severus allowed Hermione to drag him to a nearby bistro for lunch. His growling stomach overriding his instinct to cloister himself in their suite until it was time to go home. He wondered briefly if it were possible that all Americans were like Ted and Nancy. Surely they couldn't be. This was supposed to be one of the most powerful countries in the Muggle world so there had to be people of sense in it. This thought gave him little comfort as they approached the small Muggle Restaurant Nancy had told Hermione about.

The bistro had a wide patio littered with round white tables, each overshadowed by a large red and white striped umbrella. Around the tables sat Muggles of various shapes and sizes devouring plates of burgers, pasta and steak. Severus' lip curled in distaste as he watched a particularly large woman shove an enormous slice of steak into her mouth and chase it with a slurp of chocolate milkshake.

At his side Hermione prattled on about how adorable the bistro was. She was entirely too cheerful, Severus thought cynically, scowling at her.

Hermione returned his scowl playfully and then burst into laughter. "Come now Severus, it can't be all that bad." She looped her arm through his and gave a none-too-gentle tug towards the door.

Deciding that digging in his heels would only give her reason to treat him like an errant toddler, Severus followed her into the cool dim of the restaurant. A hostess with an overly bright smile that Severus was certain was chemically induced, took their names and asked them to wait a few minutes. She then stood there smiling idiotically for about thirty seconds before another girl, equally cheery, appeared to lead them to their table.

Much to Severus' chagrin they were seated directly beside the woman whose eating habits had disturbed him earlier and the slurping was as loud as it had looked. He shuddered and suppressed the urge to scold her. He never thought he would miss his dank dungeons and idiotic first years, but compared to the Muggle filth that now surrounded him he not only wished it were September, but longed for the good old days when Voldemort and his lackeys sought to eliminate any connection these people had with the Wizarding world.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and smirked, as if guessing his thoughts.

He sneered and raised his menu – red and white like the umbrellas above – and used it to block his view of the table nearby while he perused the offerings.

Fortunately by the time they had chosen their food and the overly chipper waitress had delivered the steaming plates of penne the fat woman and her skinny husband had left and Severus was able to relax for the first time that day.

The air was warm, but there was a pleasantly cool breeze that kept his skin cool and his clothes from sticking to him with sweat. Hermione, across from him let down her hair from the tight bun she had worn while golfing and allowed it to waft in the breeze. Severus decided he quite liked Hermione's hair. It had calmed a little since the time she was a student, but still fell in a mass of waves and curls down to the middle of her back. The brown he had always thought to be plain sparkled bronze and gold in the summer sun. Yes, he definitely liked her hair.

Hermione noticed him staring at her and blushed under his gaze. She was fairly certain he still saw her as the irritating know it all from her days under his tutelage and that he watched her only because he had found a new flaw more fatal than he remembered. She cleared her throat nervously and asked, "Are you really having a terrible time?"

Severus mentally shook himself back to awareness. Hermione's hopeful gaze curbed the sarcastic remark that had been forming and he said, "It's not terrible."

Skeptical, but willing to let it slide Hermione nodded. "You hate golf though, right?"

He snorted.

"I know Ted was a bit much, but Nancy was sweet." Her tone was cajoling and he felt himself nodding almost against his will.

"Golf is not a game I even intended to like, Hermione." He gave her an apologetic smile. _Damn that hopeful look in her eye. And damn Albus for getting him into this position._

She smiled radiantly back at him, satisfied with that response. "Well I'm sure you'll like what Albus has planned for us this afternoon much more than golf."

Severus chocked on his pasta and it was several seconds before he could choke out, "What?!"

Grinning deviously, Hermione handed him a brochure.

Severus stared at the paper for several seconds in unblinking horror. _Damn you Albus! You will pay for this!_

_--_

A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed last chapter! I'm glad you're having as much fun reading this as I am writing! Thanks to my grandparents for answering my feeble golfing questions. I, like Severus, think that golf is a sport best avoided whenever possible. Please check out The Conspiratress to see what Albus is up to while our dear Sev suffers in Florida. PLEASE REVIEW!!


	6. Part VI Torture

Part VI Torture

Severus eyed the contents of the locker suspiciously. A white robe and a pair of white slippers stared back. Growling, he removed the white cotton shirt Hermione had insisted was appropriate for their afternoon of relaxing bliss and hung it on the hook, next he slipped off his shoes and pants and placed them neatly at the bottom of the locker. The white robe was unbelievably soft, but the slippers flopped goofily on his feet as he shuffled out of the dressing room.

Hermione was already lounging on a chaise beside the pool, a glass of cucumber water sweating droplets of cool water on the floor beside her chair. She raised her head and gave him an appraising look. Smiling at his obvious discomfort she lay back against the chair and closed her eyes. "You know," she said after a moment of silence, "this will be a lot more fun if you would relax."

He snorted and sank onto the chair beside her. He snuck a glance at her and almost smiled despite his intention to be miserable. She looked like she might melt through the chair, so relaxed was her posture. She was smiling too, a gentle close lipped smile of complete contentment.

She raised an eyebrow without opening her eyes or turning towards him, "What?"

"I thought you had out grown your love of inane questions, Miss Granger." He snapped to cover his embarrassment at being caught staring.

"You were staring at me," she replied archly, "and I would like to know why."

Severus was saved the pain of answering be the appearance of two of what he was now suspecting were the typical Florida women. Tall, blonde, overly cheerful with falsely brilliant teeth. "Miss Granger, would you and your fiancé like to have side by side massages this afternoon, or do you prefer separate treatment rooms? Your grandfather was not sure when he made the reservation which you would prefer."

Hermione's voice was deceptively calm, "I think separate rooms would be nice." She said with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. _Damn Albus!_ She thought angrily.

"Very good," the young woman replied. "I am all ready for you now then, Miss Granger. Right this way."

Hermione shot Severus a commiserating smile and mouthed "be nice" as she followed the bobbing blonde ponytail.

Settled on the massage table enjoying the refreshing sea salt scrub and the pounding of the Vichy shower on her back she could not shake the feeling that Severus had been staring at her beside the pool, or the troublesome hope that he liked what he had seen.

--

Two rooms down the hall, Severus was not enjoying himself. The slip of a girl who was supposedly performing his full body rejuvenation treatment had told him to remove his underwear. He had snarled a refusal and now he lay on the massage table in wet boxers that he was fairly sure were filled with the sand she had used to scrub off all of his skin.

_Damn Albus! _

Without warning the pleasantly warm water that had been pounding along his back turned ice cold. He swore loudly and attempted to push himself off the table. Unfortunately it was slippery from the massive quantities of mud that the Vichy Shower was washing form his body and all he managed to do was slip and slam his prominent nose into the wet, muddy table with enough force to bring the esthetician working on him flying into the room to see what had happened.

After assuring her he was fine, just startled by the temperature change, Severus was happy to see her pressing buttons that he assumed would end the frigid stream of water torturing his back.

The water stopped and Severus moved too get up. _Thank Merlin this is over!_

"We actually do the massage right on this table." The perky blonde said with a broad smile that showed all thirty two pearly white teeth.

_No!_ Serverus' brain screamed loudly, every muscle in his body tensing. _Damn Albus! _

"Just relax. These oils will complete the detoxification process."

Severus sneered at the wall and allowed her to spread the warm, pungent oil over his back and shoulders. His sensitive nose picked out the distinct odors of juniper, cypress and laurel oils and almost against his will his muscles relaxed into her motions.

_Ahhh… this is nice. Wait a minute, what is she… _

With an enraged yell Severus leapt from the table and glowered at the woman whose hand had so recently slipped beneath the elastic of his boxers.

She regarded him with startled blue eyes that seemed devoid of anything like an intelligent thought.

_Useless tart._ He thought viciously, pulling on his terrycloth robe and slippers. His dramatic exit of the treatment room was spoilt by the slap-slapping of the fuzzy white slippers on his feet. He would give anything for his Hogwarts teaching robes and a stiff drink.

Instead, he was met with another blonde bimbo in a white coat with fake white teeth. "Mr. Snape, Lexie is ready for you in the facial treatment room. Your fiancé is nearly finished her body treatment, would you like to wait for her?"

Severus blinked through the haze of red that was clouding his vision, when she did not disappear, he blinked again. _Damn Albus! _"I will wait for Hermione.' He said coldly, stalking past the woman and into the locker room labeled Men's. The door swung slowly and silently shut behind him despite his best efforts to slam it.

He stood very still in the middle of the room, taking slow deep breaths like those he had used to withstand Voldemort's very best attempts to break his spirit near the end of the war. Time passed without his knowledge.

It was not until Hermione's face appeared in the doorway that he realized he had been standing, dripping water all over the tile floor.

"Severus?" she asked, her voice concerned. "Is everything ok?"

He glared balefully at her and stubbornly refused to answer.

Hermione sighed and slipped into the room. With a click she slip the lock into place to prevent an interruption. "Obviously something is wrong. Are you going to tell me, or are we going to finish the rest of the treatment package Albus was so kind as to provide."

'She touched my bum,' was too embarrassing to be uttered, so Severus set his jaw stubbornly and gestured for Hermione to lead the way.

She frowned at him for a moment, but seemed to decide it was too much trouble to fight him for the truth.

--

The facial was actually quite enjoyable, Severus admitted reluctantly to himself as he changed back into his Muggle clothes. Hermione had chatted merrily with the staff the whole time, asking questions about each stage of the process so he always knew exactly what the strange textured, smelly substances slathered over his face was. She really had a marvelous voice. His skin felt wonderful

When he met Hermione in the lobby he couldn't help the happy smile that spread over his face. He didn't even grimace when the receptionist wished them a happy marriage. _Damn Albus!_

--

A/N: sorry for the delay in this one. Severus just did not want to spend hours being scrubbed, showered and massaged. I hope you enjoyed his torment! Please Review!

Next chapter: We see Severus do something he's good at.


	7. Part VII Dinner Date

Part VII Dinner Date

With and agitated flick of her wand, Hermione changed the color of her dress for the third time. Things had been progressing nicely since their spa day. They had spent all day yesterday on the rooftop reading in companionable silence and the day before he had even agreed to come with her to the beach, thought she still had not managed to get him into a bathing suit.

When he had asked her to have dinner with him at a nearby restaurant, Hermione had been inexplicably nervous. It wasn't like this was a date, she was the only person on the entire continent he knew, yet she couldn't seem to find a dress or hairstyle that was good enough and the butterflies in her stomach were performing daredevil aerials.

--

Severus smiled at his reflection and then grimaced at the foreign facial expression. What is wrong with you? Its dinner, like the dinner you had last night and the dinner you will have tomorrow.

He didn't know what had possessed him to ask the concierge to recommend the place. Perhaps it was because he felt desperately out of his element. Since they left Hogwarts seven days earlier there had not been a single thing he could do without some sort of assistance. It was maddening to be so far from his normal tight control.

--

A waiter in a white suit who smiled too fondly at Hermione showed them to a small red-topped table at the edge of the large dance floor. Severus pulled out Hermione's chair and she sank into it with a smile. Their eyes locked and it was a few moments before Severus could move, he took his seat across from her holding her gaze all the while.

"Can I get you anything from the bar?" The waiter asked, interrupting their moment.

"Pacific Sunrise for me thanks." Hermione said, turning her attention to their server.

Severus took a quick glance at the drink menu and made his selection, "Dead Nazi for me."

The waiter nodded and left to collect their drinks.

Hermione was smirking at him. "Yes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Interesting drink choice."

"It's actually quite delicious; Albus introduced me to it in London last year."

Hermione laughed, "That's a sight I would have paid to see."

"What?"

"Albus, drinking shots in a London bar." She laughed again, "And for that matter, I would never have pictured you tolerating the experience for a moment, at least not before this trip."

The waiter, surprising Severus with his promptness, returned at that moment with their drinks. He set a shot glass filled with green liquid in front of Severus and a martini glass filled with blue slush and topped with a maraschino cherry in front of Hermione, who thanked him and gave him a generous tip.

Hermione took a sip of her drink, relishing the sweet refreshing taste. She looked over at Severus to find him looking with a suspicious expression at her bright blue drink. "Would you like to sample?" she asked, pushing the drink across the table.

Against his own impulses Severus took a sip of the proffered beverage. It was too sweet for his liking, but the crushed ice slid down his throat in a manner that was very soothing. He had to concede that her choice had been a good one even if the drink did look childish. "Not half bad" he admitted.

They finished their drinks in silence, each savoring the soothing effects of the alcohol.

"Would you care to dance?" Hermione asked when she had finished, eyeing the man in front of her with something akin to shyness.

Severus grinned inwardly. This would be the perfect time to stun her into silence and prove that he wasn't truly incompetent, only slightly, when it came to all things Muggle. He had yet to truly perform a skill better than her since they had left the safety of Hogwarts and Britain, but the dancing skills he had honed for years would make that not only possible, but easy. "If you wish," he said standing an offering his hand.

Hermione was grinning inwardly as well. She hadn't danced with a decent partner since her parents had forced her to take ballroom and Latin dance lessons eight years earlier and if Severus were competent it would make for a very enjoyable evening. They had been getting along reasonably well this trip, despite the many doubts she had struggled with before they left, and she couldn't suppress the anticipatory tingle that formed in her stomach at the thought of his arms around her.

On the stage a ten part band was playing an upbeat Latin song. Couples dances with varying degrees of expertise and skill. The bright dresses of the women contrasted sharply with the dark formal attire of the men. Severus took Hermione's hand lightly in his own and they joined the crowded floor.

Though Hermione was looking forward to the dance she didn't want to intimidate Severus by proving a superior dancer so she resolved to keep her stance stiff and ignored the impulses that screamed through out her body for her to strut her stuff. She had been a better than decent dancer when she was young and the basics had never left her.

The band began a new song and Hermione stepped into Severus' arms. Her mind too preoccupied with not looking too confident to notice that that very same emotion she was avoiding was radiating from her partner.

With ease of long practice Severus took Hermione's hand in his and settled his hand on her waist and lead her through the basic step a few times before trying a turn. Her steps were perfect, but her posture was incredibly stiff. "It's ok to relax," he said, amused by her discomfort.

Hermione smiled tightly at him and asked once, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Severus smiled smugly, "Definitely."

"Alright then," Hermione let her instincts take over.

Severus spun her, a quick double turn and she was back in his arms, her posture perfect in every way, her basic step suddenly alive with the type of inner rhythm that made champions. Surprised by her seemingly newfound skill Severus stumbled, but she caught him deftly. "Careful there," She said with an irritatingly smug grin.

Severus scowled at her, "you didn't tell me you actually knew what you were doing," he said somewhat sulkily, his ego feeling like it had been sucker punched. She was good, really good. Damn! This was supposed to be the one thing in Florida he could do better than the no-longer-so-bushy-haired-know-it-all.

Hermione's returning smile was cheeky. "Neither did you, now come on lets show the Muggles how it's done."

The thought of being better at something Muggle than a Muggle seemed suddenly very appealing as he resumed his dancing stance. At least there was someone in the room who he could trounce. For once something his mother had forced him into "for his own good" was paying off.

The flared skirt of Hermione's knee-length white dress performed its own dance as Severus led Hermione through a series of complicated steps and moves, thrilled to find that their skill levels were equal. Most of the other dancers on the floor moved aside to let them dance, some couples even stopping to simply watch the show. This was definitely more fun than dancing with one of the 'nice girls from good families' his mother had been shoving at him for his entire adult life.

A/N: For your patience, I award you with two chapters!! Please review!

Alright so about those drinks… for those of you who don't know:

A pacific Sunrise is made up of : Tequila, Blue Curacao, Sour Mix, Bitters and Ice

And a Dead Nazi is: Green Creme de Menthe, Vodka, and Licorice Liqueur


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